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I'm being let go. Dougal rose to his feet. "I understand. I was thinking of retiring - "
"The hell ye are. I need you. " Angus motioned for him to sit, but Dougal was too tense to comply. "Jean-Luc tells me ye can fence equally well with both hands. "
"Aye. "
"He thinks yer talents are being wasted. Roman and I agree. So how would ye like to be head of security here?"
Stunned, Dougal sat. "Here?"
"Aye, and I'd like to put you back on the mission roster. " Angus's gaze shifted to the prosthetic hand, then back to Dougal's face. "Can ye do it?"
"Aye. " When Angus continued to stare at him, Dougal figured he needed to sound more convincing. "I can do it. I want to do it. "
Angus smiled. "Good. " He motioned to the bottle on the floor. "How about a drink to celebrate?"
"Aye. " Dougal grabbed the bottle and poured Bubbly Blood into the two coffee cups Angus retrieved from the sideboard. "When do ye want me to start?"
"Right away. " Angus drank from his cup.
Dougal glanced at the monitor showing the silver room. "I need to know more about the . . . guest. Who is he?"
"We doona know his name. He's refused to say anything other than curse at us in Chinese. J. L. and Rajiv brought him back two weeks ago. I'd sent them to China again to hunt for Russell. "
"Did they find him?" Dougal asked.
"Nay. But they think he found them. " Angus took another sip from his cup. "A group of Master Han's soldiers ambushed them. They were in serious trouble, when a barrage of arrows took out half the enemy. "
"Russell?"
Angus nodded. "It must have been him, but when the battle was over, they searched the vicinity and couldna find him. "
Dougal motioned to the monitor. "So this is one of Master Han's soldiers?"
"Aye. He's mortal, or started out that way, but he now has some of the superpowers that we possess. We're no' sure how Han is transforming the mortals, but it has something to do with the demon Darafer and some drugs he made. "
Dougal frowned. They'd defeated villainous vampires before, but never one who had teamed up with a demon.
"The problem with hunting for Russell is that he's hoping to kill Master Han," Angus continued. "So in order to find him, we also have to search for Master Han. "
"What's wrong with that?" Dougal asked. "Should we no' be trying to kill the bastard?"
"We need to, aye, but 'tis verra hard to actually find him. He's taken over a large portion of southern China, Tibet, and the northern portions of Thailand and Myanmar. 'Tis a huge area to canvas. J. L. and Rajiv have spent months there, and they've discovered thirty outposts, each one heavily guarded. As far as they can tell, Master Han teleports from one fort to another, and they never know where he'll pop up next. "
Dougal winced. "Like playing whack the mole. "
"Aye. Master Han has nearly a thousand soldiers now, spread over the thirty outposts. J. L. and Rajiv are so outnumbered that they try their best to avoid any confrontations. " Angus sighed. "I was discussing this with Roman and Jean-Luc. We find ourselves in a moral dilemma. "
"How so?"
"They may be the enemy, but they're mortal. " Angus extended his cup toward Dougal so he could refill it with Bubbly Blood. "We never felt guilty about killing Malcontents. They're a bunch of rotten bastards who've spent centuries killing mortals and enjoying it. "
"Aye," Dougal muttered. "And they're already Undead. They simply turn to dust after ye skewer them. " Just like his hand, once it had been sliced off in battle.
Angus nodded. "But when we kill Master Han's soldiers, they doona disappear. Their bodies remain. And so does our guilt. As far as we know, their souls go straight to hell. "
Dougal winced. "I dinna know that. "
"Our guys learned about it on their first mission to China. The mortals enjoy their superpowers as a gift from Darafer, but when they die, their souls belong to him forever. " Angus dragged a hand through his hair. "We doona know if the mortals agree to the bargain, or if they are coerced through vampire mind control. Roman and I have discussed it at length, and we're reluctant to engage in battle with these mortals. We doona want to kill them. "
And dispatch their souls to hell. Dougal finished his Bubbly Blood and refilled his cup. "While we wait, Master Han is making more of them. Dooming more souls. "
"I know. " Angus drank. "That's why J. L. and Rajiv brought back one of the soldiers. We have some good scientists here: Roman, Laszlo, and Abby. We hoped they could figure out how the mortal was changed and how to change him back. "
"Then we could save them instead of killing them," Dougal concluded.
"Aye. " Angus finished his cup and set it on the table. "Abby has been studying blood and tissue samples from our guest, and she claims he's been altered genetically. 'Tis beyond her area of expertise, so she suggested we find an expert to help us out. "
Dougal nodded. "Did ye find someone?"
"Dr. Lee did. " Angus referred to the vampire doctor from Houston. "He's been looking for an assistant, since he has an increasing number of Vamps and shifters and wee bairns to take care of. He found a physician who also has a Ph. D. in genetics. A young mortal. And a genius, according to Dr. Lee. He's bringing her here tonight. "
"Her?"
"Aye. " Angus stood and paced across the room. "He hired her a week ago, but he had some trouble breaking the news to her about vampires and shifters. "
Dougal finished his cup of Bubbly Blood. Was it right to drag an innocent, mortal woman into this mess? "She dinna take it well?"
"Nay. She became so upset that she wanted to quit, and he ended up erasing her memory in order to keep her employed. We doona want to lose her. "
Dougal winced. "And he's bringing her here? The place is swarming with supernatural creatures. "
"We thought it best. As a scientist, she has great admiration for Roman and his invention of synthetic blood. She also knew about Abigail's achievements and was eager to meet her. " Angus motioned to the monitor showing the ballroom. "And there's a blasted party going on for a bunch of bairns. How frightening can we seem when we dote on our children?"
Dougal snorted. "So we'll convince her that we're as meek as lambs?"
Angus smiled. "That's the plan. "
"What of the moral dilemma of exposing an innocent woman to a dangerous world? What if she wants nothing to do with us?"
Angus's smile faded. "We need her. And since ye'll be working here, I expect you to do yer part to convince her to help us. " He held up a hand when Dougal started to object. "Ye may think it's wrong to involve her, but what if she can free the soldiers who've been enslaved by Master Han? There could be over a thousand souls she saves. "
So the needs of the many outweighed the needs of one? There was a ruthless logic to it, but it still didn't sit well with Dougal. How often in the past had he ranted against a cruel fate thrust upon him without his consent? The same thing could happen to this woman.
He took a deep breath. The die was cast, and he couldn't fight it. All he could do was protect her to the best of his ability. "Hopefully she will react well tonight. "
"Like ye said, we'll be as meek as lambs. " Angus stepped closer to the wall of monitors. "They're here. "
Dougal glanced at the screen that showed a black Town Car pulling into the parking lot. "Who's with her?"
"Abby picked her up this afternoon at LaGuardia and took her to Roman's townhouse. After the sun set, Dr. Lee and Gregori joined them. That's Gregori's car. He's driving. "
"They plan on telling her the truth soon?" Dougal asked.
"Aye," Angus replied. "Abby will take her to the lab first. Laszlo's been getting things ready. "
Dougal glanced at the monitor, where Laszlo could be seen straightening a stack of papers. No wonder the chemist had cleaned the room. He'd even combed his unruly hair and put on a fresh white lab coat with a full arra
y of buttons.
Dougal's gaze shifted back to the dimly lit parking lot, where the Town Car had come to a stop by the front entrance. His nerves tensed as a heavy feeling swept over him. Something was wrong. The air was suddenly too thick to breathe. He grabbed the bottle of Bubbly Blood and swallowed down a gulp. It didn't help.
Gregori and Dr. Lee exited the front seats and opened the rear car doors. Two women emerged. One was short with curly auburn hair. Abigail Tucker Holstein: renowned scientist, daughter of the American president, and Gregori's wife. The other . . . Dougal glimpsed a slim young woman, who turned away from the camera, her long black hair swinging about her shoulders.
His prosthetic hand tightened around the bottle of Bubbly Blood.
Gregori punched in the security code at the entrance, then opened the doors so they could enter the foyer.
"Dr. Lee made the mistake of simply blurting out the truth," Angus said, watching the monitors. "Abby thinks we should pique her scientific curiosity first. Then we'll have a better chance at reeling her in. "
They paused in the well-lit foyer, and Dougal had a clearer view of her from behind. The graceful curve of her spine and firm set of her shoulders, the inquisitive lean of her head as she looked about . . . so familiar. Painfully familiar.
His shoulder blade itched as his tattoo grew warm. Turn, turn toward the camera.
Her head moved slightly as if she might have heard him. Turn, turn to me. A sizzling sensation started on the tail of his tattoo, then burned a path along the dragon's body, over his shoulder to his chest, till it erupted in the fiery breath etched in crimson over his heart.
He gritted his teeth against the surprising burst of pain. Why was the tattoo tormenting him now, when it had been quiet since 1746? It took a great effort just to whisper. "What's her name?"
"Dr. Chin. Leah Chin," Angus replied.
Li Lei. Dougal's heart thudded in his ears, a pounding rhythm for the sad melody that had haunted him for so long. I will find you. No matter what. If it takes a thousand years, I will find you.
It had taken almost three hundred years, but he'd found her. Turn, Li Lei, turn to me.
She swiveled, looking around the foyer, then glanced straight up at the camera.
It wasn't her.
His heart seized with an abrupt pain. Of course it wasn't her. How could it be? He'd buried her himself in a grassy mound overlooking the Yangtze River that had claimed her life. She was lost to him forever.
His fist clenched, and the bottle of Bubbly Blood shattered in his prosthetic hand.
Chapter Two
Leah Chin was not in a partying mood. After one glance at the large room where a party was in full swing, her nerves tensed. So many people, laughing and chatting, happy and comfortable with each other. She'd witnessed similar events numerous times in college, med school, and grad school. And she'd never fit in.
She'd grown up without the benefit of friends or classmates, so she'd been ill prepared for the social aspects of college. And starting at the age of fourteen hadn't helped. She found people fascinating, but only from a distance. She could watch the lively antics of brightly colored fish in a giant aquarium but never dive in and play. Jump in and you risk drowning. Or being eaten by sharks.
She glanced again at the security camera in the corner by the front door. Someone was staring at her, she could feel it. Stop being so paranoid! Still, her skin prickled with a strange sensation. Instead of being the scientist observing a specimen under a microscope, tonight she had an odd feeling that she was the specimen.
"Would you like to drop in and say hello?" Dr. Lee motioned to the large, noisy room.
"I-I don't want to interrupt. " After all, she'd come here believing she would tour Romatech Industries and meet its owner, the renowned scientist Roman Draganesti. No one had said anything about a party. "I wasn't invited. "
"Everyone's invited," Dr. Lee told her. "It's a birthday party for three kids. Very friendly people. You'll like them. "
"They won't bite," Gregori Holstein added, his eyes twinkling when his wife shot him a disapproving look.
"You can meet them later. " Abby Holstein gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. "How about we go to my lab first?"
"Yes. " Leah jumped at the lifeline. "Please. "
"Wonderful. " Abby smiled at her. "I can't wait to show you what I've been working on. "
"I'll see if I can find Roman for you. " Gregori winked at his wife, then strode down a corridor on the left.
Leah noted the tender look in Abby's eyes as she watched her husband walk away. Must be nice to love someone that much.
"I'll join you in a few minutes after I see how the birthday kids are doing. " Dr. Lee paused at the entrance to the large, noisy room. "I delivered them, you know. "
Leah blinked. "You mean these people are your patients?" A week ago, when Dr. Lee had hired her, he'd mentioned he was the personal physician for a select group of clients. She would be expected to help him whenever he needed her, but she'd been hired mainly for her expertise in genetics.
He smiled. "You're their doctor now, too. They'll want to meet you sometime tonight. When you're ready. "
She swallowed hard as Dr. Lee sauntered into the noisy room. There were so many of them. It would take her awhile to be comfortable with them all. Her gaze flitted quickly over the crowd. Bouncy, happy children. Only a few adults looked over the age of forty. In fact, most of them appeared to be in their peak years of fitness.
The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo Page 2